


the 'ow' in flowers

by Megatraven



Series: flowers are a language i dont want to speak [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Blood, F/F, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt/Comfort, it's not that graphic tho, not marking it as a warning but there is death at the end, thats not so bad either its like really short and quick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 01:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11681073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megatraven/pseuds/Megatraven
Summary: "I told you not to do it," Marinette cried out, spinning on her heel to face the girl who held her heart. "He looked so, so guilty, Alya, and it's not fair to him at all!""I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I thought he liked you back..." Alya tried to explain, shrinking back from the look of betrayal on Marinette's face. "I thought-""You thought wrong. Have you ever even asked me if I liked him?" Her question came out more harsh than she intended, and left her breathing heavily as blood began to dribble from the corners of her mouth.





	the 'ow' in flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Alyanette angst requested by anonymous on tumblr!

The first time Marinette coughed up flower petals, she recognized them as daffodils. They hurt coming up, and were tinged with her blood. Tears came pouring from her, dripping down her face and into the bloodied wastebasket she hovered over. Her kwami looked on in sadness, having witnessed such a thing many times with her ladybugs and those they cared about most.

Tikki held what she could of her hair back. "Oh, Marinette. It'll be okay," she promised, not even sure if her words would turn out true.

Marinette tried to say something in return, but it only brought on another round of coughing, and with it, tears that each held a piece of her heart. Her mind flashed back to the boy she'd become awkward around, but only when her best friend filled her thoughts did the flowers find the need to bloom and climb from her lungs.

She stayed huddled over the trashcan for about an hour until the flowers settled and her throat was raw. She looked down at what had come from her and gave a humorless laugh, ignoring the pain it caused. "How lucky I am to be in the same class as her, huh Tikki?"

A pair of tears slid down her face without a sound, and Marinette learned that a heart broke in silence.

* * *

 

 

"Girl, why don't you just tell him you like him?" Alya asked for the thousandth time that week alone, her brows drawn together in concern.

Marinette knew she had no ill intentions- in fact, at that very moment, she was providing moral support as daffodils, acacia blossoms, and gloxinias spilled from Marinette, some whole and some petals. It was far more painful than when the daffodils were by themselves, but she knew it was to be expected.

The soothing feel of Alya's hand rubbing circles on her back reminded her she needed to respond, and because words were out of the question just then, she vehemently shook her head.

"Why not? You never know, he might return your feelings, and this'll all be over!"

That was another problem. Everyone believed she was in love with Adrien, and she didn't have the guts to tell them the truth. Only Tikki and Chat Noir knew, and neither could do much about it.

"I-I can't." The words clawed their way out of her, past the blood and flowers. "Scared."

Alya sighed, and wrapped an arm around her in true side hug fashion. "Is it worth the pain you're going through?"

Marinette wiped the drops of red from her mouth with her coat sleeve before responding again. "Better than f-finding out-" a rose without thorns fell from her lips- "that surgery's the only option I've got left."

That made Alya pause. Most people knew the risks of hanahaki, and of the cure that isn't reciprocated love. Some people lost their ability to love completely, while some lost it only for the person they were attracted to.

And that terrified Marinette to no end. Love was a choice and a feeling, braided together. Having that taken away was worse than death, worse than any pain she would need to endure.

"I just can't, Alya," she coughed out, choking on her best friend's name as flowers poured from her at the attempt.

For all the misfortune Marinette had to bear, she felt lucky that Alya never caught on to her true feelings.

* * *

 

"I  _told_  you not to do it," Marinette cried out, spinning on her heel to face the girl who held her heart. "He looked so, so guilty, Alya, and it's not fair to him at all!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I thought he liked you back..." Alya tried to explain, shrinking back from the look of betrayal on Marinette's face. "I thought-"

"You thought  _wrong_. Have you ever even asked  _me_  if I liked him?" Her question came out more harsh than she intended, and left her breathing heavily as blood began to dribble from the corners of her mouth.

Alya stared at her in shock, and Marinette could see the guilt creep into her features.

She turned away. "Did you ever even consider that it was  _you_  I fell for?" she whispered, shaking and horrified by her own outburst and admission of the truth. She continued, "That it was the girl who stood up for me and encouraged me to keep going when I was afraid and full of doubt?"

As soon as the words left her lips, so did the flowers. Daffodils, acacia blossoms, gloxinias,  and red tulips all dropped to the floor, speckled or soaked in her own blood. She couldn't tell when she'd started crying, only that her vision grew more blurry with each passing second.

A hand fell on her shoulder, and it took everything she had to not look back. "I'm sorry," she repeated, and Marinette's heart dropped to the floor. "I had no idea."

"'s fine." Her shoulders tensed and she prepared for another round.

"No, it's not. God, Marinette. I could've stopped this so long ago," she groaned, pulling on Marinette's shoulder to turn her around. Hazel eyes met blue, both filled with tears, and she took a deep breath.

Marinette froze, the flowers in her throat trying to escape faster as if they could sense their impending doom.

"I love you," Alya told her, honest enough that Marinette would never doubt that she believed it when she said it.

"Y-you do?" She stared up at her best friend, and started crying harder when Alya nodded.

And just like that, the flowers began to wither away, and breathing became natural again, unburdened by the weight of her heart.

Alya pulled her into a tight hug as they both sank to their knees. Marinette sobbed into the crook of her neck, and Alya cried with her until they calmed down and could start recovering together.

* * *

 

Marinette didn't see her flowers again until they had already lived their lives together, and Alya's had just come to a natural end.

Refusing their removal, she went to bed alone and did not wake up, a bouquet of mixed zinnias sprouting from her body in mourning.

**Author's Note:**

> The flowers I used do have meanings!! I got them from here: http://thelanguageofflowers.com/
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
